Mount Hua is the western peak of China’s five sacred Taoist mountains and, by reputation, the most precipitous: five granite summits linked by staircases cut straight into cliff faces, chains for handrails, and — for those who want it — a plank walk bolted to a sheer wall a thousand metres above the valley.
The sane itinerary: West Peak cable car up, walk the summit circuit (South → East → North peaks), North Peak cable car down. The plank walk is a short, harnessed out-and-back detour with a long queue — the thrill is real, the danger mostly theatre. The ridge paths themselves are steep but well-maintained and busy.